John Boccuzzi is very pleased with the Livable Community seminar the Friends Of Newtown Seniors (FONS) hosted recently.

The chair of the local non-profit group dedicated to helping Newtown recognize and address the lives and well-being of the local senior citizen population said this week that he and organizers continue to receive compliments and very positive feedback from many attendees of the April 28 event.

A group of 78 people spent up to five hours in the cafetorium of Newtown High School that Saturday. This was the public event to continue FONS's exploration into eight areas, or domains, that have been suggested by World Health Organization (WHO) and AARP as those to consider when looking at whether or not a municipality hosts an age appropriate environment for senior citizens.

Eight large tables had been set up in the cafetorium. Guests were been encouraged to choose the domain of their interest. Discussions focused on Civic Participation and Employment, Communication and Information, Community and Health Services, Housing, Outdoor Spaces and Building, Respect and Social Inclusion, Social Participation, and Transportation.

After registration, and then welcome remarks and introductions, attendees spent the next two hours in discussion. Table leaders served as moderators, occasionally steering the discussion back to the topic of focus.

At the Communications table, Steve Rosenblatt began the discussion by asking those at his table to offer their definition of a senior citizen. Former COA Chair Curt Symes, who was part of that group, said if one is to go by age, the elderly population begins with those in their late 60s.

Mr Symes also said most local senior citizens are "disillusioned," saying the longstanding "senior center issue" - a large percentage of the town's older population has long asked for an updated and larger place for their gathering - is a leading reason for that feeling.

Rudy Magnan agreed, saying seniors have communicated with town officials, but feel like their words fall on deaf ears. Seniors were communicating, he said, but not receiving feedback.

"People feel like the town hasn't done anything for them," Mr Magnan said. "We would go to meetings and say something, and then would say something again, and then the group would go on discussing what's on the agenda."

Wes Thompson, a resident and member of the town's Economic Development Commission, pointed out to Mr Magnan that that procedure is what is followed by most groups.

Resident and former Board of Education member Kathy Hamilton asked the group to discuss what local seniors want to have communicated to them, and how those residents can best be reached.

"What do they want to hear?" she asked. "What is the information they are looking for, and how to we get it to them?"

Discussion continued like that at all tables that morning, sometimes heatedly, but that was what organizers had been looking for, Mr Boccuzzi said.

One concern at most tables was the fact that there are some residents who live in isolated homes. Not all of the town's elderly residents live within senior communities, and not all are socially active.

Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity Communications Director Julie Friend said those residents are one challenge for communication.

"Communication needs to get to all seniors," Ms Friend pointed out. "An overarching survey could really help solve this. These people have a lot to offer. They should be asked: 'What do you want to learn about?'"

Ms Friend also reminded the group that "senior" doesn't necessarily mean someone who is not technologically savvy.

"Many have also been exposed to technology for a long time," she said. "There are plenty of people who are very familiar with computers, going online, even using apps," she said. "Communication can and should be done in a variety of ways."

One criticism of FONS that was repeated at that table was the fact that two recent surveys had been done by the group, but analyzed results were never made public. Paul Mangiafico brought that up when a survey was suggested at the Communications table.

"Two surveys were done, answers were received, and nothing has been done," he said. "That's insulting to those who spent their time on those surveys."

In the exit interview, one participant also reflected on those surveys, saying that "seeing the results of the 2013 and 2017 surveys might have been helpful, as would summaries of best practices elsewhere."

Curt Symes addressed that concern in part on April 28, saying that "the biggest wishes reported were going to be very expensive." His answer did not address why that result was not communicated widely, however.

Different forms of communication - The Newtown Bee, newsletters from groups and organizations including the Newtown Senior Center, social media, the town website - were all brought up and discussed. Creating an app that would pull together information of interest was suggested, as was the idea of resurrecting a Welcome Wagon.

"That's right," Mr Rosenblatt said, when the defunct Welcome Wagon was mentioned. "There are few people who reach out to strangers and say 'Welcome to Newtown, here's what we're all about.'"

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[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-319356" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Friends-of-Newtown-Seniors.png" alt="Friends of Newtown Seniors" width="193" height="193" /]

Follow-Up: What's Next

FONS held a follow-up meeting three nights after the seminar, according to Mr Boccuzzi. That evening, he said on May 8, feedback from the April seminar was collated, and most was very positive. Attendees had called the event "well organized," "great," "very productive," and "excellent," according to participant forms. One person said it was a "wonderful way to spend my Saturday."

Mr Boccuzzi was pleased with all responses.

"It really was a very positive event all the way around," he said.

The eight table leaders are hoping to meet again within the week, Mr Boccuzzi said. At that time, they are expected to offer reports "on everything that happened at their table," he said.

One person's comment suggested having a synopsis of each domain e-mailed out to all participants.

The next immediate step for FONS, according to Mr Boccuzzi, is to see if "actual goals were articulated."

For the Communications domain, he said, it was suggested that someone needs to decide how to best coordinate with the town on communications.

He also acknowledged the traditional route that has long been available.

"We have a local newspaper. Most towns don't," he said. "We already have the mechanism to reach every household in town. It just makes so much sense to subscribe.

"It may look to some people like we're going back to smoke signals," he added, "but to me, it just makes perfect sense."

FONS is also continuing to look at how other municipalities are improving things for their older residents.

"I had a conversation with a fellow from Darien," Mr Boccuzzi said. "They're way ahead of us. They already have a similar organization - no dues, no secret handshakes, and you automatically become a member of that group when you turn 60, there's no application - and they're extremely coordinated with the town."

FONS is hoping, Mr Boccuzzi said, to work for the next three months to see which tasks were identified during its seminar. Members are hoping that by September, a formal plan can be presented to the Board of Selectmen.

FONS is not trying to reinvent the wheel, he said. Not in all domains, anyway.

"To a large extent," Mr Boccuzzi said this week, "we will be building on things that are already in place."

He pointed to transportation as one example. Housatonic Area Regional Transport (HART) buses already have routes in the area, but none that include Newtown, he said.

"The buses run all around us, but not to us. So there is a system there, that just needs to be updated," Mr Boccuzzi said. "Something like that is a new undertaking for us, even if it has been discussed elsewhere before. We are just expanding where necessary."

Friends Of Newtown Seniors (FONS) Chairman John Boccuzzi looks on while Jane Sharpe, seated at right, makes a point during the FONS Livable Community seminar, held April 28 at Newtown High School. Also among the group at the table, from left, are Curt Symes and Kathy Hamilton. The group was covering Communications, one of eight areas of focus during the event.

-Bee Photos, Hicks

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[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-319226" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SH_FONS-Livable-Community-seminar-Fetzer-WATERMARKED-REDUCED.jpg" alt="SH_FONS Livable Community seminar -- Fetzer WATERMARKED andamp; REDUCED" width="600" height="506" /]

Beth Ann Fetzer was the table leader for Social Participation during the FONS seminar on April 28.

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[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-319228" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SH_FONS-Livable-Community-seminar-Thomson-WATERMARKED-REDUCED.jpg" alt="SH_FONS Livable Community seminar -- Thomson WATERMARKED andamp; REDUCED" width="600" height="687" /]Wes Thompson speaks during the morning discussion within the Communications domain, April 28 at Newtown High School.